Anew: Book Two: Hunted Read Online Free PDF

that I could
only hurt her by letting her go. She went on thinking that up to the moment
when I coldly and deliberately fucked her all but senseless even as I revealed
the truth about how much she really had to fear from me.
    In the end, crouched on the floor staring at me with those
huge eyes that are windows into her soul, she accepted that we really don’t
belong together.
    I haven’t been back in the gallery since. If I’d been
thinking straight, I wouldn’t be there now. The way I’m feeling, it’ll be a
cold day in hell before I set foot in it again.
    The link chimes once more.
    Answering it, I snap, “What?”
    “Thought you might be grabbing a little shut-eye,” Brad
Hollis says, arching a brow at my curt response. He was my commander in the
Special Forces, recruiting me shortly after I enlisted in the military in
defiance of my father’s plans for me. Hollis saved my sanity and quite possibly
my life. I owe him more than I’ll ever be able to repay.
    “I’m good,” I say more calmly. “What about you?” He was with
me on the raids to round up the HPF leadership and he fully shared the burden
of the interrogations that have just concluded.
    “I was thinking of treating myself to a nice warm bubble
bath but I’ve been diverted,” Hollis drawls.
    My mouth twitches at the image of the straw-haired, buzz-cut
Kentuckian with ice blue eyes and a penchant for boar hunting lolling around in
a bubble bath, at least without appropriate feminine company.
    “What’s going on?” I ask.
    “Not sure but Gab’s concerned so I thought we’d better give
you a heads-up.”
    Gab is Gabriella Innocente Darque, the six feet plus
French-Haitian cyber-engineering whiz kid who runs information security for
Slade Enterprises. If she’s worried, I am, too.
    “Go on.” I say.
    Ten minutes later, I get off the link and stare into the
distance, thinking about what I’ve just learned. Rumors, that’s all there is,
nothing more. Gab made that clear when she joined the conversation.
    “It’s just a vibe I’m getting,” she said. “But I can’t shake
it. For a couple of days now we’ve been hearing about more unrest below. That’s
why there are so many police on the streets. The problem is I’m not picking up
anything like that myself. As far as I can tell, the scavs are as beaten down
as ever. Plus there’s the gala tonight at the Crystal Palace. If the situation
is as tense as the city leaders want us to believe, why aren’t they increasing
security there?”
    I can think of a couple of reasons why not. The Crystal
Palace is in the park, an exclusionary zone for almost all workers and a place
where a trespassing scavenger would be lucky to get out alive. But in addition,
surrounding the place with heavily armed police would put a damper on the
night’s festivities and make people question the competency of the city’s leaders.
    I consider calling Edward, telling him what I’ve learned,
and suggesting that he enjoy a quiet evening at home with his grandmother and
Amelia but the whole thing may be a false alarm. Not that I think Gab’s wrong,
I don’t. Something’s up but the chances of it having anything to do with the
Crystal Ball seem remote. All the same, I’m not about to take risks with
Amelia’s safety.
    In the back of my mind, I know I’m grabbing a convenient
rationalization for what I really want to do anyway but I don’t care. Heading
for the shower, I can’t contain a wry smile.
    Gab may be a weird pick for Fairy Godmother but thanks to
her I’m going to the ball after all.

Chapter Three

    Amelia
     
    S et on the edge of the
park beside a reflecting pool filled with hundreds of floating lanterns, the
Crystal Palace looks as though it belongs in a fairy tale. Sparkling panes of
glass supported by an almost invisible titanium lattice reflect the glow from
the building’s vast interior. Entering, the guests become shadows back lit by
the radiance. I can’t help thinking that they look as